Ornament strap

Abstract

The present invention relates to a strap system configured to be mounted to an accessory, the strap system comprising: a strap having a first end and a second end disposed opposite the first end; an attachment point configured to attach the first end of the strap body to the accessory; a lock configured to attach the second end of the strap body to the accessory; and one or more ornaments configured to be fitted to the strap.

Description

[0001] CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 to U.S. patent application No. 63 / 336,403 filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on April 29, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background Art

[0003] Consumer apparel and accessories, including wallets, backpacks, hats, and the like, are common. Since many of these accessories are mass-produced, users often wish to add personality to their accessories. These users will customize their accessories with personal touches, such as their initials, the logo of their favorite sports team, etc.

[0004] Currently available options for customizing accessories include permanent embroidery or engraving of selected features onto the accessory, as well as more temporary customizations including pins, key chains, and fasteners such as Velcro. TM ) attached as a temporary badge.

[0005] These customization methods have several disadvantages. Permanent customizations are difficult to remove or change if the user changes their preferences or if the accessory changes owners. Temporary customizations can damage the accessory, such as a pin that pierces a hole in the accessory. Temporary customizations can also fail unexpectedly, for example, if the back of the pin becomes loose, causing the pin, badge, or other feature to fall off and be lost.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for an accessory that addresses some or all of these disadvantages. Summary of the invention

[0007] Exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept provide a charm strap attachable to an accessory, one or more charms configured to slide onto the strap, and methods of using the same.

[0008] The foregoing and / or other features and utilities of the present overall inventive concept can be achieved by providing a strap system configured to be mounted to an accessory, the system comprising: a strap having a first end and a second end disposed opposite the first end; an attachment point configured to attach the first end of the strap to the accessory; a lock configured to attach the second end of the strap to the accessory; and one or more ornaments configured to be fitted to the strap.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, the attachment point may be configured to detachably attach the first end of the strap to the accessory.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, each of the one or more charms may include a body including a slot configured to fit onto the strap and a front portion configured to face away from the accessory when the charm is fitted onto the strap.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment, each of the one or more charms may further include a rear portion configured to face the accessory when the charm is fitted onto the strap.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment, at least one of the one or more charms may further include a string extending away from the body of the charm. The front and rear portions of each of the one or more charms may be connected to the body of the charm via the string.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, the front and rear portions of at least one of the one or more ornaments may comprise separate pieces attached to the body of the ornament.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, the front portion of at least one of the one or more ornaments may be integrated into the body of the ornament.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment, the lock may include a stud mounted to the accessory, the stud configured to be inserted through a hole in the strap.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment, the lock may attach the second end of the strap to the accessory by virtue of friction between the stud and the hole.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, at least one of a size and a shape of the strap may be set based on the accessory.

[0018] The foregoing and / or other features and utilities of the present overall inventive concept can be achieved by providing a strap configured to mount one or more ornaments to an accessory, the strap comprising: a strap body configured to fit into a narrow slot of each of the one or more ornaments; an attachment point configured to attach a first end of the strap body to the accessory; and a lock configured to attach a second end of the strap body to the accessory, the second end of the strap body being disposed at an end of the strap body opposite to the first end.

[0019] The foregoing and / or other features and utilities of the present overall inventive concept can be achieved by providing a method for attaching one or more ornaments to an accessory, the method comprising: providing a strap, the strap being attached to the accessory at an attachment point disposed at a first end of the strap; bending the strap away from the accessory; sliding the strap into a narrow slot disposed in each of the one or more ornaments; and attaching the second end of the strap to the accessory with a lock disposed at the second end of the strap, the second end of the strap being disposed at an end of the strap opposite to the first end.

[0020] Additional features and utilities of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the general inventive concept. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] These and / or other features and utilities of the present general inventive concept will become apparent and more easily understood through the following description of embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0022] Figure 1 Views illustrating a strap and a charm attached to an accessory according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

[0023] Figure 2A A belt and an ornament according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept are described;

[0024] Figure 2B A belt without decorations according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept is described;

[0025] Figure 2C A strap according to another exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept is described;

[0026] Figure 2D A strap according to another exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept is described;

[0027] Figure 2E A belt with an ornament according to another exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept is described;

[0028] Figure 3 A top view illustrating a strap and a charm attached to a wall of an accessory according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

[0029] Figure 4A A side view illustrating an ornament according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept; and

[0030] Figure 4B A side view illustrating an ornament according to another exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to illustrate the present general inventive concept while referring to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in describing the present general inventive concept, detailed descriptions of related well-known functions or configurations that may reduce the clarity of the main points of the present general inventive concept are omitted.

[0032] Expressions such as “at least one of,” when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements and do not modify the individual elements of the list.

[0033] All terms used herein (including descriptive or technical terms) should be interpreted as having meanings that are obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art. However, terms may have different meanings depending on the intentions of those of ordinary skill in the art, case precedents, or the emergence of new technologies. In addition, some terms may be arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning of the selected terms will be described in detail in the detailed description of the present invention. Therefore, the terms used herein must be defined based on the meaning of the terms and the description throughout the specification.

[0034] In addition, when a component “includes” or “comprises” an element, unless there is a specific description contrary thereto, the component may further include other elements, not excluding the other elements.

[0035] Hereinafter, one or more exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] Figure 1 A strap system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept is described, which includes a strap 100 that can interact with one or more accessories 200. Figure 1 1000. The accessory 1000 may be, for example, a bag, a garment, etc. It should be understood that the accessory 1000 illustrated in the drawings is provided only as an example. Different sizes and shapes of accessories 1000 may be used without departing from the overall inventive concept.

[0037] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, the strap 100 may have a similar design to the accessory 1000. For example, if the accessory 1000 includes a shoulder strap, the strap 100 may have a similar color and appearance to the shoulder strap so that the strap 100 looks consistent with the accessory 1000.

[0038] Figure 2A and 2BThe strap 100 is illustrated with and without the ornament 200, respectively. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, the strap 100 may include a flexible material, such as silicone, leather, artificial leather, or rubber. The material of the strap 100 may be a material with a high coefficient of friction so that objects placed thereon do not easily slide off. The strap 100 may be attached to the accessory 1000 at an attachment point 110 disposed at a first end of the strap 100. This attachment point 110 may include, for example, stitching, gluing, or another similar method of attaching the strap 100 to the accessory 1000. The attachment point 110 is illustrated with a dashed line to indicate stitching as a possible attachment method. Similarly, the dashed line around the perimeter of the strap 100 indicates stitching around the strap 100. Such perimeter stitching may be decorative and / or structural, such as reinforcing the edge of the strap 100, holding multiple material layers together to form the strap 100, etc.

[0039] The attachment point 110 may anchor the first end of the strap 100 to the accessory 1000 so that the strap 100 may be bent away from the accessory 1000 to fit one or more charms 200 to the strap 100. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, the attachment point 110 may be permanent, such as including stitching or other permanent attachments, so that the strap 100 cannot be removed from the accessory 1000 or accidentally fall off. According to other exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept, the attachment point 110 may be removable, such as including rivets, studs, snaps, buttons, or the like, allowing the strap 100 to be completely removed from the accessory 1000 as desired. Figure 2C Such an exemplary embodiment is described in .

[0040] Figure 3 1 is a top view of a strap 100 and a charm 200 attached to a wall of an accessory 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept. As illustrated therein, the strap 100 may be detachably attached to the accessory 1000 at a lock 120 disposed at a second end of the strap 100 opposite the first end. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, the lock 120 may include an anchor point 121 and a hole 122 (at Figure 2B 1000 and may be made of a rigid material such as metal or plastic. A hole 122 may be formed in the strap 100 and may be stretched to allow the anchor 121 to pass therethrough. The anchor 121 may be of a certain size so that it can be pushed through the hole 122 by a user, but will not pass through the hole 122 without external force. In operation, the user may insert the anchor 121 through the hole 122 of the strap 100 to hold the strap 100 against the accessory 1000, and may pull the anchor 121 back through the hole 122 as needed to disengage the lock 120 and allow the strap 100 to be moved away from the accessory 1000.

[0041] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, the lock 120 may secure the strap 100 in place by friction alone, for example, the anchor point 121 includes a flared head of a stud that cannot pass through the hole 122 without external force from the user. Figure 3 According to other exemplary embodiments, the anchor point 121 may include additional safety measures, such as a pin 123 inserted through the stud to prevent the strap 100 from accidentally sliding off the anchor point 121. Such a pin 123 may be inserted through the stud to prevent the strap 100 from accidentally sliding off the anchor point 121. Figure 3 121 to indicate that it may be removed from the anchor point 121, and further may not be included in every exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, the hole 122 may be formed so that it is flush with the body of the strap 100, so that if the ornament 200 is fitted to the strap 100 as described below, the hole 122 will not interfere with the ornament 200.

[0042] It should be understood that different exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept may use different mechanisms as the lock 120. For example, the lock 120 may include a button, a snap, or a similar structure for attaching the second end of the strap 100 to the accessory 1000. According to other exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept, the lock 120 may include, for example, glue or stitching, which attaches the strap 100 to the accessory 1000 until the lock 120 can be removed by the user, for example, by separating the stitching or removing the glue. Figure 2D According to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, the lock 120 can hold the strap 100 firmly enough in place to support a plurality of ornaments 200 and / or external objects, such as a user's sunglasses, without the weight of the ornaments 200 and / or external objects causing the lock 120 to disengage.

[0043] Each charm 200 may include any physical item that may be fitted to the strap 100 . Figure 4A and 4B A side view of a charm 200 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept is illustrated. As illustrated therein, the charm 200 may include a body 201 including a slot 210. Each charm 200 may further include a front portion 220 configured to face away from the accessory 1000 when the charm 200 is placed on the strap 100. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, the charm 200 may also include a rear portion 230 configured to face the accessory 1000 when the charm 200 is placed on the strap 100. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, each charm 200 may be made of a rigid material such as metal or plastic. Each charm 200 may also have any size suitable for fitting on the strap 100.

[0044] The slot 210 may be a cavity formed in the body 201 of the charm 200, the cavity having a size and shape suitable for receiving the strap 100. In operation, the strap 100 may be inserted through the slot 210 so as to fit the charm 200 onto the strap 100. The front portion 220 may be a portion of the charm 200 that is intended for display, and may be shaped into any desired feature, including numbers, letters, logos, images, etc. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, the front portion 220 may include one or more desired colors to provide the charm 200 with a desired appearance.

[0045] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, the rear portion 230 of the ornament 200 may have the same shape as the front portion 220 or a different shape. The rear portion 230 may have a different color, texture, or thickness than the front portion 220, or may alternatively be made to be an exact replica of the front portion 220, including the shape, color, texture, and thickness, such that the ornament 200 presents the same features on both the front portion 220 and the rear portion 230.

[0046] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, the front portion 220 and the rear portion 230 of the ornament may be integrated into the body 201 of the ornament 200 so that the ornament 200 is a block having a slot 210 formed substantially in the middle, such as Figure 4A For example, Figure 2A A front view of such an ornament according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept is illustrated in FIG. Alternatively, the front portion 220 and the rear portion 230 may be separate pieces attached to the body 201 of the ornament 200 including the slot 210, such as Figure 4B According to other exemplary embodiments, the body 201 of the ornament 200 including the slot 210 may be disposed away from the front portion 220 and the rear portion 230. For example, the front portion 220 and the rear portion 230 may be configured to be connected to the body 201 of the ornament 200 via the string 215, such that the front portion 220 and the rear portion 230 are suspended from the ornament body 201, and the slot 210 may be slid onto the strap 100 as described above. Figure 2E An exemplary embodiment of such an ornament 200 including a string 215 is illustrated in FIG. The string 215 may include, for example, a chain, a wire, or the like, and the slot 210 may be slid onto the strap 100, as described above.

[0047] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, the slot 210 may have a size and shape suitable for fitting onto the strap 100. If the front portion 220 and the rear portion 230 are separate pieces, such as in Figure 4B In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in , the front portion 220 and the rear portion 230 may have a different size than the ornament body 201 , that is, the front portion 220 and the rear portion 230 may be substantially smaller or larger than the ornament body 201 .

[0048] The ornament 200 may be held on the strap 100 by friction. For example, the slot 210 may be sized to create an interference fit, such as the slot 210 may be slightly smaller than the strap 100, so that friction is created to hold the ornament 200 on the strap 100. Figure 3 1000, the strap 100 may be held under tension such that the rear portion 230 of the charm 200 is also pressed against the accessory 1000. This pressure may create friction between the rear portion 230 and the accessory 1000 to thereby hold the charm 200 on the strap 100. Because the friction and pressure hold one or more charms 200 in place without requiring a more permanent attachment method, each charm 200 may be removed at will by pulling it off the strap 100. Thus, the charm 200 may be replaced as desired by the user.

[0049] The size of the strap 100 may be set according to the accessory 1000. For example, in one exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, the strap 100 may be attached to a hat. Such a strap 100 may be wider or longer than a strap 100 attached to, for example, a small purse. In addition, the strap 100 may have any desired shape or cross-section, such as flat, round, rectangular, etc. The slot 210 of one or more charms 200 may be formed with a shape that matches the shape of the strap 100.

[0050] The strap 100 may have a length suitable for accommodating a plurality of charms 200. In operation, one or more charms 200 may be fitted onto the strap 100 by inserting the strap 100 into a slot 210 through each charm 200. After being fitted onto the strap 100, each charm 200 may be slid along the length of the strap 100 to a desired position. Thereafter, the strap 100 may be attached in place with a lock 120. To remove the charms 200, the strap 100 may be detached from the accessory 1000 by disengaging the lock 120, after which any number of charms 200 may be slid off of the strap 100. According to an exemplary embodiment in which the lock 120 comprises stitching, gluing or other long-term attachment, one or more charms 200 may be slid onto the strap 100, after which the lock 120 is applied so that the charms 200 on the strap 100 are securely held in place on the strap 100.

[0051] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, one or more ornaments 200 may have uniform size, i.e., similar width, height, and depth. In such an exemplary embodiment, the ornaments 200 may be, for example, numbers or letters, allowing the user to spell a desired word or phrase. According to other exemplary embodiments, the ornaments 200 may have different sizes. In such an exemplary embodiment, the ornaments 200 may be, for example, logos or pictures that may have different sizes.

[0052] The strap 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept can allow customization of the accessory 1000, allowing the user to quickly change which charms 200 are mounted to the accessory 1000. The strap 100 can be mounted to the accessory 1000 via the attachment point 110, thereby minimizing the risk of the strap 100 falling off. In addition, the charms 200 can be quickly replaced or changed according to the user's preference. The user can install different charms 200 of different styles, provided that the slot 210 of each charm is fitted to the strap 100.

[0053] Although several embodiments of the present general inventive concept have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A strap system configured to be mounted to an accessory, the system include: a strap having a first end and a second end disposed opposite the first end; an attachment point configured to attach the first end of the strap to the accessory; a lock configured to attach the second end of the strap to the accessory; and One or more charms configured to fit onto the strap.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the attachment point is configured to detachably attach the first end of the strap to the accessory.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more ornaments include: a body including a slot configured to fit onto the strap; and a front portion configured to face away from the accessory when the ornament is mounted on the strap.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each of the one or more charms further comprises a rear portion configured to face the accessory when the charm is fitted onto the strap.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the one or more ornaments further includes a thin cord extending away from the main body of the ornament, and wherein the front and rear portions of each of the one or more ornaments are connected to the main body of the ornament via the thin cord.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the front and rear portions of at least one of the one or more ornaments comprise separate pieces attached to the body of the ornament.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the front portion of at least one of the one or more ornaments is integrated into the body of the ornament.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the lock comprises a stud mounted to the accessory, the stud configured to be inserted through a hole in the strap.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the lock attaches the second end of the strap to the accessory by virtue of friction between the stud and the hole.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of a size and a shape of the strap is set based on the accessory.

11. A strap configured to mount one or more ornaments to an accessory, the strap include: a strap body configured to fit into the slot of each of the one or more ornaments; an attachment point configured to attach the first end of the strap body to the accessory; and A lock is configured to attach a second end of the strap body to the accessory, the second end of the strap body being disposed at an end of the strap body opposite the first end.

12. A method of attaching one or more charms to an accessory, the method include: providing a strap that is attached to the accessory at an attachment point disposed at a first end of the strap; bending the strap away from the accessory; sliding the strap into a slot disposed in each of the one or more ornaments; and The second end of the strap is attached to the accessory with a lock disposed at the second end of the strap, the second end of the strap being disposed at an end of the strap opposite the first end.

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